THE AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8474, 27 January 1891, Page 5

THE AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD.

The Otago Daily Times has a leading article on the recent action of the Harbour Board. It says :—The action of the Auckland Harbour Board, as related in the extracts from the Auckland press which we have recently published, is the most extraordinary tiling that we have heard of for a long time past. They have raised the tolls charged for landing flour, bran, and sharps from Is per ton to 2s per ton, while all other articles of tho same kind, such as wheat, are only charged Is. And this exceptional toll has been avowedly imposed for the purpose of protecting the local mills against the importations of flour, bran, and sharps from the South ! We admit, of course, that this is only carrying protection to its logical length, but we imagine, nevertheless, that very tew protectionists out of Auckland will be prepared to agree that such a course is defensible within the domain of common sense. As the New Zealand Herald very justly points out, if Harbour Boards are to be allowed to use their rating powers for political purposes, there is no knowing whore such a policy will end. The Lyttelton and Otago Harbour Boards could levy special duties on fruit, twine, and other articles which Canterbury and Otago receive from Auckland. We feel confident that the Southern Boards, however, have far too just a sense of the limits of their powers, as well as too much common sense, to embark upon any such retaliatory policy. If the Auckland Board do not, as we hope, of themselves retire from tho position they have taken up, Parliament must interfere with special legislation to prevent the abuse of the powers of Harbour Boards. We believe that there will hardly be a voice raised in Parliament in favour of either a policy of provincial Protection or of allowing Harbour Boards established for the purpose of maintaining harbours to use their powers of levying dues and tolls for the purpose of discriminating between the produce of one district and another. The first, duty of a Harbour Board obviously is to encourage shipping ; that it should impose restrictions upon trade is a course directly opposed to its duty, as well as beyond its functions. Without wishing to pass censure upon our neighbours' sins, we cannot but say that the petty selfishness of the motives by which the Auckland Harbour Board have been actuated in this matter is a severe reflection upon the community which places men of such narrow minds in such important public positions. That its action should be repudiated by the New Zealand Herald on behalf of the community was only to be , expected.